History

Over a decade ago, our predecessor, the RKC, shook up the complacent landscape of the fitness profession. Instead of letting graduates off the hook with multiple choice questions, the RKC subjected ‘candidates’ to rigorous testing. To earn the coveted RKC certification, a candidate had to demonstrate perfect exercise technique, have his or her spirit tested thru grueling workouts, pass strength standards tests and demonstrate his or her teaching skills.

Never content with being the best, RKC kept constantly polishing the chrome, collaborating with top scientists, medical professionals, and coaches like Professors Stuart McGill and Tom Fahey, Gray Cook, and Dr. John DiMuro. In a little over a decade, the RKC instructor manual had seen 24 editions.

StrongFirst was started by Pavel Tsatsouline who developed the RKC curriculum and led the RKC organization on the field. StrongFirst has preserved the best RKC standards and traditions and it continues to improve on them. Consider that in order to graduate from our bodyweight training instructor course, a student must be able to do a strict one-arm pushup—and that is the ladies’ standard. When we say “strength,” we mean StrongFirst.